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Bringing ancient art to life

Enterprise Europe Network recruits a museum for an EU-funded research project that will use state-of-the-art technology to delve below the surface of ancient artefacts.

Treelogic S.L. is an R&D-intensive SME in northern Spain offering ICT solutions from patient-tracking systems to eGovernment portals. Always on the lookout for new opportunities, it answered an EU funding call for technology-based research into historical objects. For help finding a museum partner Treelogic turned to Inès Rey Hidalgo, one of 3 000 Network experts worldwide helping SMEs access EU funding.

Eight days later, Network colleague Evgeny Kossev with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Stara Zagora in southern Bulgaria suggested the Regional Museum of History for the job. He then helped prepare the documents for the first-time applicant.

With €2.9 million in EU funding, Treelogic will use a radar-like device to create two- and three-dimensional digital images of several artefacts from the museum's collection revealing new details beneath the surface. "We hope to unveil secrets invisible to the human eye," says Javier Gutiérrez Meana, Treelogic's project manager.

Besides adding the images to the European cultural portal for widespread distribution, Treelogic will use them to develop smartphone applications for more interactive exhibits at the Stara Zagora museum.

"We can use innovative technologies to popularize cultural heritage," predicts Zhivko Simitev, the Museum's project coordinator. "I would recommend the Network to any cultural institution."

The partnership has been a boon not to the museum and thus to the cultural life of the city. Angel Dinev, Director of the Regional Historical Museum of Stara Zagora underlines the key role of the Enterprise Europe Network in making this happen: "The involvement of the Regional Historical Museum of Stara Zagora in the INSIDDE consortium would not have been possible without the assistance of the Enterprise Europe Network. The joint efforts of the museum and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Stara Zagora help safeguard the cultural heritage of Stara Zagora."

Inés Rey, the Spanish Network expert, emphasises the importance of the Network's quick response time and well-honed searches. Essentially, the Network can help partners to find the right match in a short space of time when it really matters: "Companies can search and find partners in a very specific field that perfectly fit within their area. We are able to filter expressions of interest and offer preliminary advice on the most suitable partner from among all the applications received."